Problem: Christopher has 12 oranges for every 8 apples. Write the ratio of oranges to apples as a simplified fraction.
Solution: Ratios can be written in a few different ways that mean the same thing. You can express a ratio with a colon separating the two numbers. $12:8$ You can write it out as a phrase like this. $12 \text{ to } 8$ Or, you can express a ratio as a fraction. $\dfrac{12}{8}=\dfrac{3}{2}$ Therefore, $\dfrac{3}{2}$ is the ratio of oranges to apples written as a simplified fraction.